Gas Prices REALLY Affecting You...

[lucky_bunni]

Ok, I've heard a lot of people saying that gas prices can keep going up and up and up - and it won't affect how they live. Now I want to hear from other people, like me, who are really, really effected by the high prices of gas. I want to hear about the changes it is already forcing you to make.

As for me, I just can't afford to drive around everywhere any more. It is kind of sad but I just graduated from college Sunday and my BF just got accepted back to school. We have a lot to celebrate right now, yet we haven't been anyone because of the gas prices. So we've just stayed at home all week, the only places we have gone since Sunday is to take him to work and one trip to the grocery. I can't afford $35 a week ($140 monthly) to fill up my tank. We share my '99 VW Beetle. If it goes much higher, such as $4+ per gallon like they say, the monthly cost of a weekly fillup will meet or surpass my monthly car payment.

Normally we would be out shopping, eating, etc. etc. Basically spreading little pockets of money here in the economy. Right now, with these gas prices, I see us putting our bare minimum into the economy. We aren't even renting movies, but watching out of our own DVD collection, because we don't want to waste the gas on getting to the video store. I don't see all this staying at home as being bad for us because we are saving money we would normally be spending out. However, I don't see how this could be good for the economy. And it makes me think that our spending habits are probably reflecting many others right now.

So anyhow, I just want to hear from those who feel as squeezed as us ALREADY, even at $3 a gallon. And what are you thinking about for the future if/as it keeps going up?

 

[kejoda]

Our gas here in MN has started to go down. We have curtailed our driving but more so we don't waste gas. If we need to go somewhere we go otherwise we think twice about whether we really need to go out.

 

[Princess Nancy]

We are scaling back and ALWAYS taking the smaller car, when we NEVER would have done that before.

I wouldn't even consider a major purchase of any kind now.

My girlfriend wants me to go to the beach with her this weekend. Roundtrip would cost me $45 in gas, not worth it for a day at the beach, but oh how I want to go!!

 

[Blueeyes101817]

i have no choice, as i commute to college about 40 minutes away,,but other t han that, i rarely will go out--just because it takes almost 40.00 to fill up my little sunfire..
this weekend, im going about 2.5 hours away--this has been planned for months, no way to not go..but still,,,its a pain

 

[shelby_36]

I've been doing little carpools to like Walmart or the gym. When one of us goes we always ask the other now and try to consolidate trips. Also I stop on my way home from work now ehere before if I had errands I might come home, relax for a while and then go back out. Wuth 2 teenagers its hard to conserve gas but i'm trying the best I can. if my son wants to go to a game or party in another town (15 miles away) I hang out at the local kmart or Walmart until he's finished insted of coming home and going out later and getting him.

 

[Pete's Mom]

Yes, gas prices are affecting me but everytime I start to feel sorry for myself I think of others who are truly suffering.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

My boss asked me to fill up his Sequoia today. $60. That's what it's going to cost me to fill up my SUV. I'm trying to downsize to a car but I want to come out ahead.

I'm combining errands, walking wherever I can to save gas. It's actually helping me save money and get back onto a budget too, no more random trips to the mall to buy stuff I don't need. Except the bag of chips I bought from Target.

 

[2buzzboys]

I am staying in this whole weekend with hopes that things would get better after the holiday. Normally I would have been out enjoying the 3 day weekend and probably would have taken a trip to either disney or universal with the kids, but it is not worth filling up.

 

[va32h]

I walk with my kids to school in the morning, but it is still too hot for them to walk home, so I do drive to pick them up then.

We have limited our social activities to our very local area. Lots of playing in our own backyard or walking to the park. There is a community festival that we had planned to go to tomorrow, but it's a 30 mile drive each way, and we've decided that even though the festival is free, we don't want to spend the money on gas to get there and back!

I am very fortunate in that I work from home, and do not need to commute each day. If I need something from the store, I ask my husband to pick it up on the way home, rather than going out.

I can't remember the last time I filled my tank completely - we've been buying gas $15 -$20 at a time for awhile now.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Dh and I aren't going anywhere we don't absolutely have to. He's also really glad that I don't have to drive half hour to/from work every day now. It used to take me a quarter tank to/from work every day so I'd fill up about 2X per week.

I filled my car up on Sunday night and I STILL have 3/4 of a tank left.

TOV

 

[bjgrazi]

Gas prices are affecting me and where I work. We had to lay off a driver yesterday. That was hard and we're hoping it's only temporary. Our company does a ton of driving and we sat and reworked all the schedules. Gas around here is over $3.15 a gallon. There is talk of a fuel surcharge added to our services.

I don't get manicures, waxings. I don't drink or smoke. We gave up our netflix and we're not doing our every other week pizza out night. My kids don't buy school lunch.

I'm a single income household and a .10 rise messes me up. My budget was tight to begin with and yes I'm worried I have two kids and there is no way I'm going to be able to heat my house this winter.

Prices in the grocery stores are going up. I guess I'm what you call the working poor now.

 

[golfgal]

We are just walking places we could have before instead of driving. My family wants us to come visit and it is a GREAT excuse not to go . Our gas is still high, $3.11/gallon, but I am guessing that will come down on Tuesday after Labor Day. It will still be high and we won't take any frivolous trips.

 

[Viking]

Stop whining: Due to Katrina and the oil companies' greed our gas soared to $7 a gallon. The only thing I changed is my average speed. I usually don't exceed 100mph (Used to drive 130mph+ when traffic permitted) and on longer distances I cruise at 80 - 90 mph instead of 100-110mph. But I have to admit just today I went along the Autobahn for a short period at 120 and it was fun as the weather was great and I had my top down.
Next weekend we'll be driving to a meeting for Convertible Enthusiasts about 150 miles north of our hometown, cruise around a wonderful lake, and drive home again, roundabout 400 miles for that day, but although at 30mpg this is $90 in gas alone, I don't care. It will be a wonderful weekend, that's what we have our convertibles for, so be it.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I have not been the parks recent because it was so darn hot. Now I am passing on the drive to conserve gas.
Part is from being cheap and part of me says, Darn it, Keep your &^%$ gas then.
I get more done around the house and relax better anyway.
I am glad gas is available and grateful for what I have. But it has really curtailed impulse driving and spending. Which in the long run is better for me anyway.
I wish I could carpool to work. But...

 

[crz4mm2]

I haven't been making'extra' trips. We live about 10 miles from town. Doesn't seem like much, but it adds up if you make several trips.
I lump stuff together now instead of driving in more than once.
I have to drive to work, so I go to the store on the way home instead of making an extra trip in.
Yes, I guess they are affecting me.

Cathy

 

[Lewski709]

Yes, they are.

80.00 to fill the tank on my vehicle. No choice, no vehicle payment...so it's not like I want to go out and get a new one.

We don't eat out anymore.

Went to Aldi's to try to save on groceries, a waste.

Don't go anyplace on weekends and don't go anyplace that is out of the way from on the way to work and back to get anything.

I, too, however am trying to be thankful for the things we have instead of what the gas prices are doing to us financially.

 

[marlasmom]

I'm trying to consolidate trips in my big gas hog (it's a Lincoln - only car that DH with his bad knee finds halfway comfortable). I am refusing to drive my grandson to school - he can take the bus. However, he ALWAYS has an errand to do - today it was take him to get his ROTC belt fixed. Tonight my DH is going to drive him on his first date. He missed the bus - pick him up from school. We don't go anywhere - only cheap chain restaurants for a long time - I don't buy clothes - don't rent movies. I do spend money on my grandchildren with the thought that it's ONLY money - but that might well have to be curtailed. Not the way I thought I'd live in retirement. AArgh

 

[Marseeya]

Our budget is going to take quite a hit. My husband drives 120 miles a day round trip (5 days a week). I drive 40 miles round trip to school, 3-4 days a week. The only grocery stores in our small, rural town are very expensive, so we usually drive 30 miles to get to a Super Walmart -- now we have the choice in paying more for groceries or paying for the gas to make the trip.

Anyway, it's not going to kill us at all, but I really feel for the people in this town who try to live on minimum wage jobs. I don't know how they'd manage.

 

[babar]

Honestly no, they aren't affecting me at all. I fill up my tank maybe once a month. I walk 3 miles to work and back, or take the bus if I'm too tired. I'll walk to the store unless I'm making a big shopping trip. I go out at night and either walk to the bar, take the bus or a cab.(I know those prices will go up)
The only time I drive is if i'm going to the suburbs to visit my parents.

Living in the city, I rarely use my car. No need.

 

[wendy1974]

I went to three different gas stations yesterday to find gas. The first one by the time I got up to the pump they were out of gas, the second one I waited in line 30 minutes only to find out when I got up there they would only take cash, the third station I finally got gas after waiting in line for an hour. There is mass panic down here of a gas shortage which is only making things worse. There is such a huge demand that it is driving the price up even more. Several gas stations in my city have police tape around the pumps bc they are out of gas. People are pulling up to the tanks and literally pulling out 7 or 8 gas cans and filling them up which is causing a shortage. It's really bad here.